


New Views

by pencilguin



Series: Culmets Celebration Week [2]
Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: First Dates, Fluff, M/M, Rebuilding Relationship, more or less
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-12-17 03:10:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21047324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pencilguin/pseuds/pencilguin
Summary: [spoilers for S2]With slightly shaking fingers, Paul pressed the call button on the door pad. He was two minutes early right now and cursing himself for being so nervous. Even if it was, technically, their first date — this wasHugh, they’d known each other foryears, been together for years, they knew each other inside out; his body had no business going into full anxiety mode over their second first date. But then again, everything was different now, wasn’t it? They had to learn and get to know each other anew. And Paul sure as day knew better than to take anything about Hugh for granted ever again. So here he was now, in front of Hugh’s separate quarters, after being asked out on a new first date following their breakup and dramatic reunion and jump into the future, and waiting for him to open the door.For Culmets Celebration Week 2019Prompt: glasses





	New Views

**Author's Note:**

> This is unbeta'd, sorry for any mistakes.

With slightly shaking fingers, Paul pressed the call button on the door pad. He was two minutes early right now and cursing himself for being so nervous. Even if it was, technically, their first date — this was _Hugh_, for fuck’s sake, they’d known each other for _years_, been together for years, they knew each other inside out; his body had no business going into full anxiety mode over their second first date. But then again, everything was different now, wasn’t it? They had to learn and get to know each other anew. And Paul sure as day knew better than to take anything about Hugh for granted ever again. So here he was now, in front of Hugh’s separate quarters, after being asked out on a new first date following their breakup and dramatic reunion and jump into the future, and waiting for him to open the door. Some unreasonable part of him still worried that Hugh might have changed his mind. Paul tried to shut him up.

The door slid open. “Come in!”

Still nervous, Paul stepped inside. As the door closed quietly behind him, he looked around the room curiously. Standard issued living quarters; single, thus slightly smaller than their shared ones — _his_, now. He was surprised to see that there wasn’t much of a personal touch to them, aside from the odd PADD or other article of daily use lying around on a surface. Hugh was still busy with setting the dining table and had his back to the door.

“Hello,” Paul said, unsure how else to start the conversation.

Hugh turned around and smiled. “Hi.”

The sight completely threw Paul off track, and maybe he should’ve seen it coming. This was Hugh, after all, years and death and rebirth and breakup and reunion later still the love of his life. His smile was understated, but genuine, disarming as always and as warm as ever. Within a second, the tension and nervousness that had been holding Paul in their grip were washed away. Hugh was also wearing the same suit from Airiam’s funeral, with a dark blue shirt underneath this time, and he looked at least as stunning as he had on that day; probably more under the circumstances and different lighting. The most surprising part, however, was the fact that he was wearing glasses — something Paul had never seen on him before.

Hugh walked towards him and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and both hands on Paul’s elbows. Like every time when they got close again, it hit Paul with full force just how much he’d missed this. Maybe even more so over the last few weeks than during the months while Hugh was dead. Hugh smiling at him, not recoiling from touch, the softness in his voice when he addressed Paul — like right now, saying, “I’m happy you’re here.”

“I’m happy, too,” Paul quietly responded. His hands had instinctively found their way to cup Hugh’s elbows as well, their arms now resting on each other. It wasn’t quite an embrace, but a step in the right direction. The evening was still young, and even beyond it, he wanted to make sure they got this right, and would take all the time in the world that they needed.

As he let go of Paul’s arms and gestured towards the table, Hugh said, “I hope you’re hungry.”

They sat down to start eating. Paul froze when he saw the asopao, and he noticed Hugh watching him closely. He threw an insecure glance across the table.

“I thought,” Hugh said, looking down, choosing his words carefully, “we’d start by rebuilding some of those… associations.”

Paul nodded. After a while, he said, “I’m sorry for how I acted. I should’ve realized that you weren’t okay, and that you needed to process a lot of things. I shouldn’t have tried to force you back into the old ‘normal’ as if nothing had ever happened.”

“Apology accepted,” Hugh answered with a smile. “I’m sorry for scaring you like that.”

Finally, Paul dared to smile, too. “Apology accepted.”

They started eating. Paul tried a spoonful of the stew. Paused. Tried another. Frowned. Tried another.

“This isn’t replicated,” he at last said confidently.

“No, I made it myself.” Hugh watched him closely. “You noticed?”

“Yes.”

Something softened in his expression, and it warmed Paul from the inside, more than the hot asopao ever could.

They continued to eat in silence, but it was a comfortable one. Paul noticed himself stealing glances at Hugh across the table repeatedly. The warm candlelight on the table illuminated his face beautifully, and the dark frames of his glasses somehow managed to accentuate his eyes even more. Paul had never imagined or even considered Hugh with glasses — they’d gone somewhat out of fashion since ocular surgery had become widely accessible; most people preferred a one-time procedure and then being done with the issue over the hassle of glasses or contact lenses — but with this sight of Hugh, wearing them now, he was distractingly handsome.

Once he’d finished his bowl of asopao, Paul could no longer contain his curiosity. “I didn’t know you wore glasses,” he remarked, trying to sound nonchalant.

“I didn’t.” Hugh, too, pushed his empty bowl aside. Paul raised an eyebrow in response, so he continued. “I had eye surgery as a teenager, so I never had to wear them.”

“Oh!”

“Yeah. New body, old issues.” He shrugged. “I’m thinking about doing it again, but I’m not sure yet. So I’ve decided to try out glasses for now.”

Paul fought with himself for a moment, unsure if his opinion on this was wanted. Eventually, he cleared his throat. “They look good on you. I like them.”

“You do?” Hugh looked surprised, and a little flustered.

Paul nodded; perhaps a little too enthusiastically, he belatedly realized. “They’re… I’m not sure what it is about them, but it’s very attractive.” He hesitated. Might as well go with full disclosure. _Honesty, remember?_ “Kinda hot.”

It was hard to tell in the low, warm light, but he thought he saw Hugh blushing. He did smile, though.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Now it was Paul’s turn to blush.

“Shall we move on to the next course now?”

Paul nodded, unable to keep the smile from his face, or to take his eyes off of Hugh.


End file.
